Support After Homicide Marks 30 Years, Seeks Volunteers Amid Rising Demand

Support After Homicide (SAH), a national voluntary organization funded by the Department of Justice, is marking 30 years of providing free nationwide services to families bereaved by homicide. Established in 1996 after a series of murders in the 1990s highlighted a gap in victim support, SAH currently has fewer than 15 volunteers.

SAH has never had a waiting list but is actively recruiting volunteers, particularly in west Cork and Kerry, Tipperary, Galway and Mayo, Sligo/Leitrim/Donegal, and Cavan/Louth/Monaghan. The organization provides emotional support and practical information. In 2022, SAH supported 680 people; this number rose to 793 in 2023, with 705 supported in 2024 and 270 in 2025.

Founding member Ann Meade noted improvements over 30 years, including Garda Family Liaison Officers and the EU Victims' Rights Directive. However, campaigns for legal reform continue. Sharon Lynn, who lost her brother in a 2023 one-punch attack, is campaigning for sentencing reform after the man responsible received a six-year sentence that the Director of Public Prosecution decided not to appeal. Lynn emphasized the need for a clear framework for calculating sentences and communicating this to families.